William S. Sessions
Encyclopedia
William Steele Sessions (born May 27, 1930 in Fort Smith, Arkansas
) is a civil servant who served as a judge and 4th Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
. Sessions served as FBI director from 1987 to 1993, when he was dismissed by President Clinton
.
, in 1948, and enlisted in the United States Air Force, receiving his commission October 1952. He served on active duty until October 1955. He attended Baylor University
where he received a Bachelor of Arts
degree in 1956 and an LL.B. degree in 1958.
Sessions is an Eagle Scout
and recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award
from the Boy Scouts of America
. The Scouting tradition runs deep in the Sessions' lineage – his son, Pete Sessions
(a member of the United States House of Representatives
serving Texas' 32nd District), is also a Distinguished Eagle Scout, his grandson Bill is also an Eagle Scout, and his father, William A. Sessions, Jr. wrote the first God and Country handbook for the Boy Scouts of America
.
from 1958 until 1969. He was then appointed Chief of the Government Operations Section, Criminal Division of the Department of Justice
in Washington, D.C.
, where he served until his appointment as United States Attorney
for the Western District of Texas in 1971. In 1974 he was appointed United States District Judge for that district, becoming Chief Judge in 1980. He also served on the Board of the Federal Judicial Center in Washington, D C, and on committees of both the State Bar of Texas and the Judicial Conference of the United States. Overall he has been a practicing attorney for more than 40 years. He also is associated with the National Youth Leadership Forum on Law (NYLF/LAW).
and was sworn in November 2, 1987.
Sessions was applauded for pursuing a policy of broadening the FBI to include more women and minorities. He was viewed as combining tough direction with fairness and was respected even by the Reagan administration’s critics, although he was sometimes ridiculed as strait-laced and dull.
Sessions became associated with the phrase "Winners Don't Use Drugs
", which appeared on idle arcade game
screens during demos or after a player finished playing a game. By law it had to be included on all imported arcade games and continued to appear long after Sessions left office. The quote normally appeared in gold against a blue background between the FBI seal and Sessions' name.
Sessions was FBI director during the controversial 1992 confrontation at Ruby Ridge
, Idaho
, at which the unarmed Vicky Weaver was shot dead by an FBI sniper. This incident provoked heavy criticism of the Bureau as did the deadly assault on the
Branch Davidian
church that lasted from February 28 to April 19, 1993. These incidents were also related to the discovery of severe procedural shortcomings at the FBI's crime laboratory.
Following the inauguration of William J. Clinton as the 42nd President of the United States
on January 20, 1993, allegations of ethical improprieties were made against Sessions. A report presented to the Justice Department
that month by the Office of Professional Responsibility
included criticisms that he had used an FBI plane to travel to visit his daughter on several occasions and had had a security system installed in his home at government expense. Janet Reno
, the 78th Attorney General
of the United States
, announced that Sessions had exhibited "serious deficiencies in judgment." Although Sessions denied that he had acted improperly, he was pressured to resign in early July and when he refused to do so he was fired on July 19.
Clinton nominated Louis Freeh
to the FBI directorship at a Rose Garden
ceremony on July 20. Former Deputy Director Floyd I. Clarke
served as Acting Director until September 1, 1993 when Freeh was sworn in.
He returned to Texas where on December 7, 1999 he was named the state chair of Texas Exile, a statewide initiative aimed at reducing gun crime.
and has served as an officer or on the Board of Directors of the Federal Bar Association of San Antonio, the American Judicature Society
, the San Antonio Bar Association, the Waco-McLennan County Bar Association, and the District Judges' Association of the Fifth Circuit. He was appointed by President Reagan as a Commissioner of the Martin Luther King, Jr.
, Federal Holiday Commission, and was a Delegate for the Americas to the Executive Committee of ICPO-Interpol. He is also a member of the Constitution Project
's bipartisan Liberty and Security Committee.
In 2006, Mr. Sessions also was present on the American Bar Association
task force examining the constitutionality of controversial presidential signing statements, which concluded that the practice "does grave harm to the separation of powers doctrine, and the system of checks and balances that have sustained our democracy for more than two centuries".
In 2008, he argued that the execution of Troy Anthony Davis
should not proceed because of serious doubts as to whether Davis is actually guilty.
Fort Smith, Arkansas
Fort Smith is the second-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. With a population of 86,209 in 2010, it is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 298,592 residents which encompasses the Arkansas...
) is a civil servant who served as a judge and 4th Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
. Sessions served as FBI director from 1987 to 1993, when he was dismissed by President Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
.
Early life
Sessions graduated from Northeast High School in Kansas City, MissouriKansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, in 1948, and enlisted in the United States Air Force, receiving his commission October 1952. He served on active duty until October 1955. He attended Baylor University
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
where he received a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in 1956 and an LL.B. degree in 1958.
Sessions is an Eagle Scout
Eagle Scout (Boy Scouts of America)
Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America . A Scout who attains this rank is called an Eagle Scout or Eagle. Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than 2 million young men...
and recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award
Distinguished Eagle Scout Award
The Distinguished Eagle Scout Award is a distinguished service award of the Boy Scouts of America . It is awarded to an Eagle Scout for distinguished service in his profession and to his community for a period of at least 25 years after attaining the level of Eagle Scout...
from the Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
. The Scouting tradition runs deep in the Sessions' lineage – his son, Pete Sessions
Pete Sessions
Peter Anderson Sessions is a politician from the state of Texas. He is a Republican, and currently represents the 32nd congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. He is the current Chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee-Personal:Sessions was born in Waco,...
(a member of the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
serving Texas' 32nd District), is also a Distinguished Eagle Scout, his grandson Bill is also an Eagle Scout, and his father, William A. Sessions, Jr. wrote the first God and Country handbook for the Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
.
Legal career
Sessions was an attorney for the firm of Haley, Fulbright, Winniford, Sessions, and Bice in Waco, TexasWaco, Texas
Waco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. Situated along the Brazos River and on the I-35 corridor, halfway between Dallas and Austin, it is the economic, cultural, and academic center of the 'Heart of Texas' region....
from 1958 until 1969. He was then appointed Chief of the Government Operations Section, Criminal Division of the Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, where he served until his appointment as United States Attorney
United States Attorney
United States Attorneys represent the United States federal government in United States district court and United States court of appeals. There are 93 U.S. Attorneys stationed throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands...
for the Western District of Texas in 1971. In 1974 he was appointed United States District Judge for that district, becoming Chief Judge in 1980. He also served on the Board of the Federal Judicial Center in Washington, D C, and on committees of both the State Bar of Texas and the Judicial Conference of the United States. Overall he has been a practicing attorney for more than 40 years. He also is associated with the National Youth Leadership Forum on Law (NYLF/LAW).
FBI career
In 1987 Sessions was nominated to succeed William H. Webster as FBI Director by President Ronald ReaganRonald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
and was sworn in November 2, 1987.
Sessions was applauded for pursuing a policy of broadening the FBI to include more women and minorities. He was viewed as combining tough direction with fairness and was respected even by the Reagan administration’s critics, although he was sometimes ridiculed as strait-laced and dull.
Winners Don't Use Drugs
Winners Don't Use Drugs is an anti-drug slogan that was included on all arcade games imported into North America for 11 years from 1989—2000. The slogan appears on a screen that is shown during a game's attract mode....
", which appeared on idle arcade game
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
screens during demos or after a player finished playing a game. By law it had to be included on all imported arcade games and continued to appear long after Sessions left office. The quote normally appeared in gold against a blue background between the FBI seal and Sessions' name.
Sessions was FBI director during the controversial 1992 confrontation at Ruby Ridge
Ruby Ridge
Ruby Ridge was the site of a violent confrontation and siege in northern Idaho in 1992. It involved Randy Weaver, his family, Weaver's friend Kevin Harris, and agents of the United States Marshals Service and Federal Bureau of Investigation...
, Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, at which the unarmed Vicky Weaver was shot dead by an FBI sniper. This incident provoked heavy criticism of the Bureau as did the deadly assault on the
Waco Siege
The Waco siege began on February 28, 1993, and ended violently 50 days later on April 19. The siege began when the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms attempted to execute a search warrant at the Branch Davidian ranch at Mount Carmel, a property located east-northeast of Waco,...
Branch Davidian
Branch Davidian
The Branch Davidians are a Protestant sect that originated in 1955 from a schism in the Davidian Seventh Day Adventists , a reform movement that began within the Seventh-day Adventist Church around 1930...
church that lasted from February 28 to April 19, 1993. These incidents were also related to the discovery of severe procedural shortcomings at the FBI's crime laboratory.
Following the inauguration of William J. Clinton as the 42nd President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
on January 20, 1993, allegations of ethical improprieties were made against Sessions. A report presented to the Justice Department
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
that month by the Office of Professional Responsibility
Office of Professional Responsibility
The Office of Professional Responsibility is part of the United States Department of Justice responsible for investigating attorneys employed by the DOJ who have been accused of misconduct or crimes in their professional functions...
included criticisms that he had used an FBI plane to travel to visit his daughter on several occasions and had had a security system installed in his home at government expense. Janet Reno
Janet Reno
Janet Wood Reno is a former Attorney General of the United States . She was nominated by President Bill Clinton on February 11, 1993, and confirmed on March 11...
, the 78th Attorney General
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, announced that Sessions had exhibited "serious deficiencies in judgment." Although Sessions denied that he had acted improperly, he was pressured to resign in early July and when he refused to do so he was fired on July 19.
Clinton nominated Louis Freeh
Louis Freeh
Louis Joseph Freeh was the 5th Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, serving from September 1993 to June 2001....
to the FBI directorship at a Rose Garden
White House Rose Garden
The White House Rose Garden is a garden bordering the Oval Office and the West Wing of the White House. The garden is approximately 125 feet long and 60 feet wide...
ceremony on July 20. Former Deputy Director Floyd I. Clarke
Floyd I. Clarke
Floyd I. Clarke was a former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the United States.Clarke was born in Phoenix, Arizona. He attended George Washington University in Washington, D.C., where he obtained a bachelor of arts and later a law degree...
served as Acting Director until September 1, 1993 when Freeh was sworn in.
He returned to Texas where on December 7, 1999 he was named the state chair of Texas Exile, a statewide initiative aimed at reducing gun crime.
Later in life
Judge Sessions is a member of the American Bar AssociationAmerican Bar Association
The American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...
and has served as an officer or on the Board of Directors of the Federal Bar Association of San Antonio, the American Judicature Society
American Judicature Society
The American Judicature Society is an independent, nonpartisan, national organization of judges, lawyers, and interested members of the public whose mission is to improve the American justice system - to "secure and promote an independent and qualified judiciary and fair system of justice." ...
, the San Antonio Bar Association, the Waco-McLennan County Bar Association, and the District Judges' Association of the Fifth Circuit. He was appointed by President Reagan as a Commissioner of the Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...
, Federal Holiday Commission, and was a Delegate for the Americas to the Executive Committee of ICPO-Interpol. He is also a member of the Constitution Project
Constitution Project
The Constitution Project is an non-profit think tank in the United States that builds bipartisan consensus on significant constitutional and legal questions. Founded and led by Virginia Sloan, the Constitution Project’s work is divided between two programs: the Rule of Law Program and the Criminal...
's bipartisan Liberty and Security Committee.
In 2006, Mr. Sessions also was present on the American Bar Association
American Bar Association
The American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...
task force examining the constitutionality of controversial presidential signing statements, which concluded that the practice "does grave harm to the separation of powers doctrine, and the system of checks and balances that have sustained our democracy for more than two centuries".
In 2008, he argued that the execution of Troy Anthony Davis
Troy Anthony Davis
Troy Anthony Davis was an American man convicted of and executed for the August 19, 1989, murder of police officer Mark MacPhail in Savannah, Georgia. MacPhail was working as a security guard at a Burger King restaurant when he intervened to defend a man being assaulted in a nearby parking lot...
should not proceed because of serious doubts as to whether Davis is actually guilty.